“I’ve been jammin’ for quite a while, doing what’s right, and settin’ the style.”
Seemingly fitting for this time of year, and a little memento for all the cheeseheads back in the big windy, I couldn’t help but throw this up. With non-stop one liners from Walter “Sweetness” Payton, Jim “Punky QB” McMahon, and Mike “Samurai” Singletary, this could be the best seven minutes you’ll ever spend.
As the cold gets colder, and I get more and more ready for warmer temperatures, I realize that they’ll be accompanied by rain and wind, thus sending me on my search for a proper parka/raincoat. Gloverall, not necessarily a breakthrough find, fits the bill to perfection.
This past weekend’s C.H.C.M. pop-up brought the duffle retailer back into my radar, and with their deep rooted history, nautical/military inspirations and quality construction, I’ll be all-set for the spring.
From their site:
“Recognized worldwide as the foremost Original Duffle Coat Gloverall has gained Iconic status as a design classic. Playing a part in fashion and culture through the last 60 years Gloverall draws on it’s Military and Industrial Heritage to be one of the most respected and loved British Brands.
A balance of tradition and modernity reflects through our coats with manufacturing in England and our newly introduced collection Made in London England.
The word Duffle originally referred to a Heavy Woolen Cloth closely woven for warmth and manufactured in the Belgian Town of Duffle. However over the years it has come to signify a hooded coat with distinctive toggle fastenings which was adopted by the British Navy and used by officers and men of the watch to protect against the biting Atlantic and North Sea winds. The toggles could be unfastened whilst wearing thick gloves, and hoods were carefully designed to fit over peaked Naval caps.”
The original Monty Duffle coat
The Aesthete, brought to you by Brennan Woods of The Pursuit Aesthetic, is a series of head-to-toes from those across the grid. I was more than happy to oblige his kind request for The Standard Edition’s participation, and offer up my own take on this collaboration. Tune into The Pursuit Aesthetic and check out The Aesthete as well as all the quality past posts.
Always a sucker for quality goods with a story, North Sea Clothing fits the bill to perfection. Dating back two world wars and constructed of quality English wool, the submariner jumper is tried & true.
If you’ve heard of Cru Jones, Bart Taylor, the Reynolds twins and/or Hell Track, there’s a good chance we would be friends. Potentially the foundation of my youth, Rad was not just the word on the street, it was the best movie ever.
Aside from this piece of BMX excellence, this film is host to several other fundamental pieces of greatness. For starters, it’s produced by Jason Schwartzman’s Dad, and his Mom (Talia Shire a.k.a. Michael Corleone’s sister, Connie and Rocky’s Adrianne), is Cru’s Mother. What may heavier than the cast of characters is the fact that there’s a place called Hell Track, and a completely amazing flatland-dance off to Send Me An Angel. This, my friends, is a tall order and I still get chills just thinking about it.
The launch of a ship has been the topic of celebration for hundreds of years. The tradition of having a lady christen a ship as it left the cradle and headed toward the deep began in the early 1900’s, peaking during WWII as hundreds of ships left the docks adorning each American shore.
These old photos of launch parties and the celebration of ships heading to sea, capture the moment during its heyday and offer a glimpse into the romanticism of the time. A time when people took what they wore and dressing well seriously; not a poorly dressed person in sight.
As for the ships, most of these are Liberty Ships and were commissioned at shipyards in either Camden, New Jersey or San Francisco, California, two powerhouses during the war. Other heavy hitters included shipyards in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Charleston, Mass., Staten Island & Brooklyn, N.Y. and Philadelphia, Penn.
SS Atlantic Navigator, November 14, 1950. New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, New Jersey.
Along with Alden, Allen Edmonds is the only other major domestic shoe manufacturer who actually still produces handmade shoes stateside. Founded in Wisconsin in 1922 by Elbert W. Allen and Ralph Spiegel, Allen Edmonds has deep roots as one of America’s premier shoe manufacturers. Much of their legacy was forged out of World War II, where along with Red Wing, Allen Edmonds was the preferred provider of footwear for the Army and Navy, embedding their place in history and building life long relationships with their customers.
Today after 88 years, they continue to manufacture there shoes in Wisconsin, with an additional factory in Maine, where all the hand stitched products are produced. With many of the great American shoe manufacturers moving overseas, Allen Edmonds stayed true with their timeless traditions and beliefs. Rather than compromise integrity and quality, they opted to keep their facilities in the United States and invest in both their employees as well as the equipment they use. While each of these steps creates higher costs and a competitive disadvantage, Allen Edmonds’ superior quality and customer loyalty keep them alive and right here on home turf.
“1960s: As many other shoe manufacturers went out of business, the management team kept Allen Edmonds on track by staying true to the company’s core values and superior craftsmanship.”
Each shoe continues to combine the fundamental aspects that put Allen Edmonds on the map – the sewn welt method and cork filled sole. Elbert Allen discovered the welt method when he left his native Tennessee for Texas to run a prison shoe making business, and found this 360 degree sewing technique made the shoes more durable and comfortable. Not satisfied, Allen searched for a way of doing away with the metal shank commonly found in the heel of many shoes, and instead added a cork heel, originally called the Osteo-Path-Ik method. Each of these methods are still used today, both during the initial manufacturing as well as during the Recrafting process.
This video shows the 200 step process each shoe goes through on its way to being a final product.
During the Recrafting process, some of the original manufacturing steps are re-performed, providing a complete overhaul of worn shoes, allowing them to last a lifetime. This is a great video that captures the re-birth of a shoe as well as some quality mid-west/Wisconsin accents.
My personal favorite - The Strand.
It’s fascinating how motivation can pop-up in the strangest places. Perfect example, I recently received a sarcastic comment on a shirt I was wearing, something about “lumberjack”, blah blah blah… Thinking about this, I wanted to know if the check shirt was a cliché or actually had some historical integrity, so I dug in and got some facts about old-time loggers/lumberjacks.
I was interested in the trade, the time and the workwear involved (which in some capacity consisted of the iconic shirt), which has re-surfaced, and is once again a staple garment. I managed to score some quality photos of several lumbermen, practicing a trade that helped build companies such as Filson, Carhart, Danner and other quality workwear manufacturers. The results are below.
